


Print A Thousand Pages

by pinkevilbob



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-24 18:57:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21343117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkevilbob/pseuds/pinkevilbob
Summary: Jester gets locked in the bookstore and finds something unbelievable.
Relationships: Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is from another 20 minute prompt and the word was 'books'. So this is actually a setting I wanted to do something with, but didn't have a plot for so I used it for this prompt. It's fun to try to set up a world/setting in just 20 minutes. I hope you all enjoy it!

Jester woke up with a crick in her neck followed by the sudden realization that she wasn’t in her bed but a plush chair. A plush chair that was not in her apartment. She had been kidnapped! No, wait, she had fallen asleep at the bookstore in a cozy corner tucked in the back with the sequel to Tusk Love. With a stretch, Jester got up and checked the time on her phone. 9:05 PM.

...9:05 PM! That was well past closing time! But some of the lights were still on, so maybe she wasn’t the only soul there. Gathering her stuff, Jester gathered her nerves too and then went to the front of the bookstore. The front door was locked, and no one was there. An eerie quiet filled the place. Jester was tempted to cry, but all that would do was ruin her mascara. So instead she went deeper into the stacks.

It was a used bookstore so it went without saying that it was a labyrinth, but Jester was trapped either way. She remained silent as she made her way. Usually, she was all for humming a jaunty tune, but it felt wrong to disturb the silence of the books. There was an almost holy peace there. As she went deeper in, she could start to hear something. The oh so quiet flutter of pages being turned. Jester hurried her pace towards the source of the sound. 

The sound got louder and louder, which was odd for such a soft noise, but Jester wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She turned the corner to the row the sound was coming from and froze. Standing in the middle of the aisle was a redheaded man holding out his hands. But that wasn’t what stopped Jester, though he was handsome. No, what caught her attention was the dozen or so books in the airs flapping their covers like they were wings. One book rested on the man’s shoulder, but there resting flitted about the man. A single light shone down on the man, framing him like a picture.

Jester gasped. She never even heard of such things. The man turned towards her taken aback, and the books scattered flying in every direction. “What are you doing here?” the man asked his voice dripped with a zemnian accent and fear.

“I fell asleep and got locked in here,” Jester said. “Do you work here?”

“Ja, I’m the owner. I’ll let you out,” he said. He started towards the front of the store.

Jester followed after him moving fast to keep up with his longer strides. “Thank you. I’m Jester by the way.”

“Caleb.”

“So, Caleb. What were those?” Jester asked.

Caleb gave her a glance his face stony. “What were what?”

Jester huffed. “Those books or birds. Those flying things.”

“Those were books,” Caleb said.

“Can all your books do that?” Jester asked. “Are all books magic?”

Caleb sighed. “All books are magic in that they can take you away to a different world, but no not all books can fly. Here or out in the world.”

“Why can those books fly then?”

Caleb shrugged. “I don't’ know. But I keep them safe.”

Jester nodded. “So it’s like some sacred holy duty of justice.”

“No. I just find them sometimes and keep them here,” Caleb said. “It felt right.” He stopped in front of the door. “You can go now.”

“Oh right.” Jester was a little disappointed to leave after discovering something so magical. “Can I come back to see them tomorrow.”

“It’s going to take me hours to calm them down after your intrusion.” Caleb sighed and rubbed his temples. “But you can come back during the day if you like.”

Jester had almost expected to be banned. “I can?”

“On the condition that you tell no one.”

She mimed zipping her mouth closed. “My lips are sealed.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this week's 20 minute prompt was Tender and all I could think of was to do another chapter of this fic. We'll see if I keep doing chapters of this fic for the prompts, but it worked this week.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy it.

Jester buzzed with energy as she entered the bookstore. Caleb had told her she could come back, and she had been anticipating seeing him again all day. It wasn’t particularly busy that day. Instead there was a peaceful quietness that put her at ease.

Finding Caleb was easy since he was behind the front counter reading a book. It was interesting to watch him read. He held the book like it was a precious treasure. Gentle was the best way to describe it. Like it was a small child that was under his care. Jester smiled watching Caleb.

“Hi,” Jester said softly or at least softly for her. Caleb flinched backwards and nearly fell off his stool. “Oh, sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Caleb said. He regained his balance and carefully set his book down.

Jester looked at it. “Is that one of your, you know?” She flapped her hands like they were a bird. Or book in this case.

“Nein,” Caleb said. “I keep those in the back during the day. But they like to visit their friends at night.”

“Books have friends?”

Caleb nodded. “Ja. Of course they do. The books have a camaraderie with each other. They like each other.”

Jester grinned at the thought. “Do they like people?”

“Some do, but some don’t. Some of my books weren’t treated kindly by people.” There was something in the way Caleb said that that made Jester wonder if he related to his books in that way.

“But they like you,” Jester said grinning.

Caleb shrugged, but there was a small smile on his face. “Ja, they do. I’m lucky to have them.”

“Do you have a favorite book?” Jester asked.

Caleb recoiled a little bit with discuss. “I can’t choose a favorite.”

“Oh come on. Everyone has a favorite book,” Jester said. “Mine’s Tusk Love.”

“If I told you, you won’t tell anyone, will you?” Caleb asked looking around furtively.

Jester shook her head. “Cross my heart.”

Caleb took a deep breath and leaned in close to whisper. “I call my favorite Frumpkin. They are all good books, but Frumpkin’s been with me the longest.”

“Do you name all of your books?” Jester asked.

A blush crossed Caleb’s face. “Ja. Every living thing deserves a name.”

“Can I name one?” Jester asked.

“They’re all named.”

Jester frowned. “Do you think you’ll ever find another one?”

Caleb shrugged. “I don’t know. So far I just stumbled upon them by accident.”

“If you do find another can we name it Oskar?” Jester asked.

“Oskar?”

Jester nodded. “Yeah. He’s from Tusk Love.”

Chuckling, Caleb nodded. “Oskar it is.”

“Oskar’s going to be a nice book.” Jester paused. “Does anyone else know about them?”

Caleb shook his head. “My friend Nott might suspect that there’s something odd here, but so far I’ve managed to keep them secret.”

Jester gaped. “So we’re sharing a super special secret?”

“I suppose so.”

Jester bounced up and down with excitement. “This is so cool. I’ve never had this kind of secret before.”

Caleb placed his hand on Jester’s wrist. It was warm and rough and Jester noticed that his hands looked oddly mottled, but they were gentle. “Please, you can’t tell anyone. I can’t risk anything happening to them.”

Jester nodded. “I understand.”

“Do you?” There was a heavy weight to Caleb’s voice.

“Well, maybe not completely, but I understand that it’s important you.” Jester put her hand on his. “I’ll keep them safe.” _And I’ll keep you safe too_, she added silently


End file.
